Embedded air core inductors for integrated circuit package substrates with thermal conductor

Abstract

Embedded air core inductors are described for integrated circuit package substrates. The substrates have a thermal conductor for the inductors. One example includes a package substrate to carry an integrated circuit die, the package substrate having a plurality of top side pads to connect to the die on a top side and a plurality of bottom side pads to connect to an external component on a bottom side. An inductor is embedded within the package substrate, A thermal conductor is embedded within the package substrate adjacent to the inductor to conduct heat away from the inductor, and a heat sink is thermally coupled to the thermal conductor to receive the heat from the conductor.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus comprising:
 a package substrate to carry an integrated circuit die, the package substrate having a plurality of top side pads to connect to the die on a top side and a plurality of bottom side pads to connect to an external component on a bottom side; 
 an inductor embedded within the package substrate; 
 a thermal conductor embedded within the package substrate adjacent to the inductor to conduct heat away from the inductor; and 
 a heat sink thermally coupled to the thermal conductor to receive the heat from the conductor. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal conductor is a dielectric. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the thermal conductor is formed of a nitride, a polymer, or an industrial diamond. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the inductor has coils and wherein the thermal conductor is within the coils of the inductor. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the thermal conductor has a rod-shaped extension that is within the inductor core. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the inductor has coils and wherein the thermal conductor is outside the coils of the inductor. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the thermal conductor comprises a jacket surrounding the exterior of the inductor. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heat sink comprises a thermoelectric cooler. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heat sink comprise metal traces within the package substrate. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the metal traces conduct data between a top side pad and a bottom side pad. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heat sink comprises a thermally conducting material attached to an exterior surface of the package substrate. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the thermally conducting material comprises a solder ball. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the thermally conducting material comprises a heat spreader over the die and the package substrate. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a thermal detector coupled to the thermal conductor to detect a representation of the temperature of the inductor, the thermal detector being coupled to an external controller. 
     
     
       15. An integrated circuit package comprising:
 a processor having a voltage regulator; 
 a package substrate to carry the processor, the package substrate having a plurality of top side pads to electrically connect to the processor and a plurality of bottom side pads to connect to an external component on a bottom side; 
 an inductor embedded within the package substrate and connected to the voltage regulator of the processor through the top side pads; 
 a thermal conductor embedded within the package substrate adjacent to the inductor to conduct heat away from the inductor; and 
 a heat sink thermally coupled to the thermal conductor to receive the heat from the conductor. 
 
     
     
       16. The package of  claim 15 , wherein the heat sink comprises a thermally conductive vertical via through the package substrate to an external heat sink. 
     
     
       17. The package of  claim 15 , wherein the thermal conductor comprises a polycrystalline diamond rod through a core of the inductor. 
     
     
       18. A computing system comprising:
 a system board; 
 a memory attached to the system board; 
 a processor connected to the memory; 
 a package substrate attached to the system board to carry the processor, the package substrate having a plurality of top side pads to electrically connect to the processor; 
 a passive device having a conductive coil embedded within the package substrate and connected to the processor through the top side pads; 
 a thermal conductor embedded within the package substrate adjacent to the inductor to conduct heat away from the inductor; and 
 a heat sink thermally coupled to the thermal conductor to receive the heat from the conductor. 
 
     
     
       19. The computing system of  claim 18 , wherein the heat sink comprises metal layers of the substrate. 
     
     
       20. The computing system of  claim 18 , wherein the heat sink comprises a bottom side pad of the substrate coupled to the system board.